Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

 

On this opening day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (always one week before the Conversion of St. Paul), the first reading relates the story of the call of the young shepherd, David, to be the Lord’s anointed one (1 Sam 16:1-13). It is David whom God has chosen to unify the tribes of Israel. And in King David, we see the foreshadowed Jesus, who is the Good Shepherd, who knows his sheep and is known by them (see entrance refrain Jn 10:14-15). It is he who is the source of unity among Christians. It is he who sees “not as man sees” and he who “looks into the heart” (1 Sam 16:7).

As we find in today’s Gospel from Mk 2:23-38, Jesus is not bound by human laws; he is “Lord even of the Sabbath.” He preaches that, in the final analysis, there is only one law that counts and that is the law of love: “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (Jn 13:34). Unity will only be achieved through loving actions. It is fitting that we sing at communion: “May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts—that peace to which all of you were called as one body” Col 3:14-15.

Prayer for Today: O Lord of all unity and peace, help me to embrace peoples of all faiths, free my heart of all prejudice and fill my heart with a Shepherd’s love to heal wounds of discord and division.

Reflection by Br. Michael Marcotte, OSB